When best friends, Charlie and Myles, graduate high school, their lives take very different paths. Charlie is driven to move out of his adoptive home and get a job to support himself, but Myles is stuck in the past; the past when Charlie and Myles would unleash all of their anger at their world by boxing each other. Now, the popularity of their ‘secret group’ has spread throughout the community and it seems like every kid in the neighborhood is involved. When Charlie breaks off to take his day job more seriously, and Myles finds out Charlie has stolen the girl of his dreams, a wedge forms between the two friends. It grows until they are rivals. Meanwhile, Charlie moves in next door to a young boy, Brett, whose father roughs him up on a regular basis in order to try to make him tough. Brett is a sweet, gentle young boy who does well in school but his father doesn’t understand why he doesn’t do “normal boy things” like fight. Charlie begins to teach Brett how to box while becoming a big brother figure to him. But when his friendship-turned-rivalry explodes, Charlie enters Brett prematurely into a boxing match against Myles’ biggest kid. When Brett wins the fight, he finally wins the respect of his father; the thing he has desired all along. Learning that fighting is the only way to gain his father’s respect and attention, Brett hardens himself. When his father drunkenly demands he hit his mother, he does it so he doesn’t lose his father’s attention. And thus, the cycle of violence continues.

CASTING THESE ROLES:

Lizzie- 19 years old, feisty, one of the boys, naturally beautiful, speaks her mind, a constant “balance” for Myles and Charlie as they’ve grown up, motivated, feels “stuck” in her small town

Miles- 19/20 years old, recent high school graduate, lives with his grandmother after his mom left when he was 16, his father died when he was in third grade (he watched him die and it’s the secret he’s carried with him all his life, only Lizzie knows this), ridiculously in love with Lizzie and always has been, best friends with Charlie, hot-tempered, spontaneous, lazy and unmotivated, job-less, living in the past

Charlie- 19 years old, recent high school graduate, lived with foster parents until he was 18, has his own place now, hardworking, motivated, frustrated with Myles’ laziness which is tearing their friendship apart, passionate about designing cars, protective, emotional, caring, looking ahead and has goals (which Lizzie is attracted to)

John- 29 years old, young father, reckless, tough guy, used to be the “bad boy” in school, fighter, doesn’t understand how to talk to his son, is rough with his son because he wants him to be tough, thinks his son is too weak, alcoholic, bored

Susan- 27 years old, young mother, depressed, loves her son but doesn’t know how to protect him against his father, timid, tired, full of regret, proud of her son because he does well in school and she believes he will make something of himself so he’s her only hope left as long as he doesn’t turn into his father…